For the last time
by AlwaysNextToYou
Summary: "True love doesn't have a happy ending, because true love never ends." Because have they found their true loves, and there's no way they're saying goodbye.
1. Close

**Chapter 1 - "Close"**

"Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett, I want to see both of you in my office." Gates said, shouting a very serious look, trying to make sure they both understood it was serious business.

"Yes sir." Beckett replied, following Gates as she started walking, as Castle did the same.

"Close the door, if you please." Castle was the last one to walk in the room, and after the Captain's order, he immidientely turned around to close the door, without questioning her, without even speaking. "I already know about everything."

"Excuse me, sir?" Beckett frowned her eyebrow after shouting a preoccupied look at Castle. Did she just say she knew about everything? _Everything_?

"I know everything, and I'm very disappointed with both of you. Well, I was expecting this from Mr. Castle, but not from you, detective." her fingers interlaced as she talked, resting her elbows in her table after sitting down.

"I, huh-" she tried to explain herself, but her words were interrupted by her Captain.

"I have no idea why you didn't tell me about this." her serious face suddenly turned into a happy face. Too happy, really. Her wide smile was somehow shocking, and Beckett was speechless, not sure of how to take her reaction. She knew about everything, yet, she was happy? Castle had his mouth somehow open, also shocked with her reaction.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I don't understand...?" she finally questioned her, her eyebrows frowning as she turned her head slightly to the side, completely confused.

"You could have told me you saved New York from a bomb and earned a medal." she said, making both Beckett and Castle sigh in relief at the same time. "I was going through some papers and found this," the captain picked a paper from her table and handed it to Beckett. It was a file about it, and in Beckett's lips, there was now a smile.

"I didn't think it was important, sir. It's been a while." she replied, handing the paper back to Gates as she smiled, Castle now trying to contain laughter. They really thought they had been caught.

"Well, I'm happy to have a detective and... a writer, in my precinct that earned a medal. Good job." seeing the captain smile was quite shocking. "Both of you." she looked at Castle and nodded. "But I didn't call you here just for that." looking back to all the papers in her table, her face was now back to serious. "You have new case."

"Let's have some fun!" Castle finally opened his mouth, making Gates look up to him. If looks could kill, Castle would have died in that moment. "I mean, huh,... let's get this killer."

"Here's the address," she looked back to the papers in her desk and picked one up. "They just reported it, and the medical team must be on their way."

Castle reached for the paper but Gates placed it on the table again, not wanting him to grab it. They could both hear Castle whisper _"Right"_ as he stepped back, and then after shouting a small laugh, Beckett finally grabbed it.

"We'll do our best, sir."

They both turned around, trying to contain laughter, reminding themselves that for a second, they thought they had been caught. After passing through the door and closing it, they couldn't hold it back anymore and both laughed. Not too loud, but they did, enough for a few people at the precinct to notice. As they sat next to Beckett's table, the laughter stopped, and they were now looking at each other with tenderness, after a couple of sighs.

"That was close," he confessed, looking into Beckett's eyes, a very playful and challenging smile playing across his lips.

"It's not funny, Castle." her eyes slid from his face to Gate's office, then back at him, as she sighed in relief once again.

"I didn't say funny, I said close." a small laugh escaped from his lips again. "Besides, you laughed too."

"I laughed because I was relieved she didn't find out."

"Find out what?" Esposito approached them, and stood right behind Beckett's chair, as she rolled it to take a look at him.

"Nothing," Beckett quickly said, without even thinking.

"Don't worry about it." Castle shouted at the same time Beckett did, making Esposito frown his eyebrow. He was getting used to this.

"I heard we got a new case," he nodded his head, and quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah, huh, I almost forgot. Lanie and the rest of the team are on their way there. We should get going, too." the brunette said, not sure of what to do or say, embarrassed for the previous moment. She got up, right after Castle did, and they both looked at Esposito again. "Where's Ryan?" she asked.

"I'm right here," they saw Ryan approaching them with a wide smile on his face.

"Bro, where were you?" Esposito looked at him.

"Jenny called. Her parents want us to visit them this weekend." he replied, his smile disappearing and turning into a concerned face.

"Good luck, dude." a laugh escaped from his lips as he noticed Ryan's face.

"Not funny. Not. Funny."

"Hey guys...? We have a victim to check out and a killer to find." Beckett reminded them as she rolled her eyes and turned around, then started waking, leading the way.

* * *

"What've we got?" they all approached Lanie as she checked out the woman's body, trying to identify the cause of murder and any other things relevant for the case. Beckett was always the one the question her.

"It's a woman, I'd say in her middle age, between 35 and 40 years old. Time of death between 10 and 11 pm."

"Any ID?" Beckett asked, her eyes travelling through the dead body in front of her, as she saw Esposito approaching it and lowering next to Lanie, grabbing a purse and then getting up again.

"Here," he placed his hand inside the purse and took a wallet from it. "Jessica Blake, 37 years old."

"It obviously wasn't a robbery... Cause of death?" she asked, now looking at Lanie.

"The marks on her neck indicate she was asphyxiated, and I think she didn't fight it much." her hands slid to the woman's neck, revealing the marks so they'd see them.

"What do you mean?" Castle interrogated her.

"I believe this woman was sleeping and woke up with someone's hands on her neck."

"Yikes!" Castle shouted, making Beckett frown her eyebrow as she looked at him.

"This here," Lanie continued. "Indicates that the killer was wearing gloves."

"No fingerprints, then. Our killer isn't definitely dumb." Beckett concluded, then looked at Ryan. "Find out more about the victim, I want to know everything about her. Family, friends, enemies..."

"Got it!" Ryan shouted and turned around, as Esposito started following him, but got stopped by Beckett.

"Espo, I need you to take the neighbors to the precinct, we need to see if they heard or saw someone near the house by 10pm."

"On it, boss." he replied, going after Ryan, but then both going on separate ways.

"You and I are going to have fun." she said as she looked at Castle, and smiled, not realizing what was going in his mind.

"Fun... huh?" he bit his bottom lip after shouting a wide and provocative smile, Lanie watching them as she tried to contain laughter. They were completely forgetting the was there, too.

"Interrogating the neighbors."

"Oh." the smile on his face quickly disappeared, turning into a disgusted face, really odd thoughts going through his head.

* * *

**Note: **

_This first chapter was more of a "fun introduction" to a very touching story. With this story, I want to show their relationship, how much they're connected, all they've been through... and their love and trust will be put to prove. _

_I know this seems like crime and all at the moment, but most scenes will be around Caskett, and if you're a shipper, I believe this story will get to your heart. I will update every day, sometimes even twice a day, depends on the follows and reviews this gets! Get your shipper heart ready, because this story will make you... well, just read to find out._


	2. Frustrated

**Chapter 1 - "Frustrated"**

Looking at her, she now seemed to be absolutely perfect. Her was falling perfectly on her shoulders. She was wearing a white shirt and tight jeans, as well as high heels, that always got him thinking about how could she run in those things. She seemed to be concentrated. But in the board, there was only the picture of the woman. Nothing else. No words, no drawings. Simply a picture.

He decided to approach her. He could see that she knew he was there. He used to do that a lot: stare at her for a while. Maybe because he was overwhelmed with the woman that now was his. Silence had taken over the room. He took a look at his pulse watch before sitting next to her.

"I can't figure this out." she kept looking at the board. Her voice was somehow weak, enable to understand what was missing.

"What are you talking about? You're the finest detective in the city." his eyes were on her, and she finally moved her head, their eyes meeting as a light smile formed in his lips. Her eyes were simply beautiful.

"I don't know what's missing, Castle."

"You erased everything we had," he started, not understand what was going on in her mind. He always knew. This time, he didn't.

"Because it didn't make sense." she admitted, taking her own hands to her head, oddly confused by this case. "There's no reason why someone would dislike her. So why was she killed."

"Once, a very strong and beautiful detective told me that there's always a reason."

"She must be smart. That's a deep saying," a smile finally appeared in her lips.

"Ooh, she is." he stopped for a second to admire her smile, then continued. "And she also never gives up."

"How does she do that? Isn't she afraid?" she asked, slightly curious about his answers.

"I don't know. I think it's because she has a partner that she really likes,"

"Don't you mean someone that really irritates her sometimes?" she corrected him, a small giggle escaping from her lips as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes were shining.

"I thought you didn't know her." he joked.

"But I know _him_." the brunette quickly replied, frowning her eyebrow and smiling playfully.

"How much do you know about him?"

"I know a few things. For example, he's... ruggedly handsome._"_ her hand slid to his leg, as she looked into his eyes.

"Oh." he replied, watching her moves closely. "Anything else you know about him?"

"He's smart, strong, unbelievably sexy..." she took her hand from his leg and placed it on his face, touching it softly, then it slid to his ear, and her fingers played with the earlobe.

"That sounds good," he mumbled weakly, lost by her soft touch and the sparkle on her eyes as she looked at him. "And do you... love him?" he finally asked, not sure of what her answer would be. They were together. He had told her he loved her. But she hadn't. He understood why. But he wanted to hear it.

"I-" Yes. She should have said yes immidientely, without even thinking. But she didn't, and the moment was interrupted by a cellphone. Why were they always interrupted.

"Sorry," he whispered, losing the eye contact as she took her hand from his ear and placed it on her own lap. "It's mine."

"That's alright," she smiled lightly. "I need to get back to the case anyways."

"It's Alexis. She's out of town." he kept staring at her, somehow still saying he was sorry.

"Aren't you going to get it?"

"Uh, yes, of course."

He got up, and answered the call. His daughter's voice made him smile, as Beckett's attention got back to the board. That moment was magical to her, but she still had a killer to catch, and this wasn't easy. Jessica Lake. Murdered in her own house, asphyxiated by some guy, with his own hands. But he was smart, he attacked her in her sleep, and wore gloves. No one heard it. Neighbors didn't see anyone either. She didn't have enemies, or even close friends, lovers... and the only family she had were some cousins she didn't even speak to. And nothing seemed to make sense. Why would someone want her dead?

"Sorry about that." he replied, sitting next to Beckett again.

"That's alright. How's she?" Beckett looked away from the board, her eyes meeting Castle's as she watched his moves.

"Having fun with her friends. And my mom."

"Martha?" That wasn't definitely normal.

"I know, I can't believe it either. I still have no idea why Alexis agreed on taking her. But it seems like her friends find her grandma pretty cool." he said after a small laugh.

"Well, she is a cool person." she admitted, after laughing, too.

"Yeah. I'm cooler, though." his hand slid to her waist, as he smiled, and approached his face to hers. Their lips almost touched, but she pulled back.

"I'm sorry, Castle. I need to figure this out," she said, her face shouting forgiveness, as she looked away, back to the board again.

"It's late. We're even alone in the precinct. It's not normal." he pointed out. "Come over tonight. Some fun will do you good."

"I don't know..." Today she was acting tough. But he understood her reasons. He knew that cases like this always got her frustrated.

"Do you want me to beg you? Because I will." he joked.

"No need to." she replied after thinking for a couple of seconds. Maybe he was right. And she did love how he never gave up on her.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." she looked back at him, a smile playing across her lips.

"Ice cubes?" he frowned his eyebrow playfully, his mind already full of naughty thoughts.

"Castle." she replied after rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, sorry."

They both got up, both smiling from ear to ear, like a very happily married couple. It was going to be a fun night. And he was glad he could take those thoughts out of her head. They had time to find the killer. But their desire couldn't wait.

* * *

"Good morning," Beckett walked in the precinct with a wide smile on her face, coffee in one hand, and Castle walking next to her, also with his coffee, of course.

"Morning boss." Esposito smiled back, somehow wondering what let her so happy. She did seem pretty frustrated before he left the precinct the day before. "Morning, Castle." he completed, shouting a challenging look to Castle.

"Any good news?" Ryan asked as he sat next to his table, frowning his eyebrow, quite curious about those smiles.

"No... why?" she asked, also confused with their reactions.

"Yesterday you seemed pretty furious." Esposito pointed out, right after her words.

"I was just frustrated about the case. But I'm sure you can get me good news today... right?"

"Yes indeed." Ryan smirked.

"The neighbors didn't hear a thing, but the woman from the store across the street said a suspicious group of men walked in the building around 9." Esposito said, always finishing his partner's theories, like Castle and Beckett did.

"And our victim was killed around 10..." Castle concluded.

"According to her, it seemed like they had escaped from a Mafia movie." a laugh escaped from Esposito's lips.

"Do you think she was in trouble with the Mafia?" Castle asked.

"Not sure."

"Was she able to see their faces?" Beckett asked, now excited about the fact that they finally had a lead to follow.

"She worked with our sketch artist and we got... this." Ryan picked up a paper from his desk, and handed it to Beckett, that grabbed it and took a quick look at it.

"Espo, see if anyone around the area saw this man." she handed him the sketch. "Ryan, I'm going to need you to check if there are any security cameras in the street, building or even in the store."

"On it, boss." Esposito quickly replied as Ryan nodded his head, and both got up, ready to work.

"Seems like we'll need the help of my Mafia friends." Castle laughed a little, and Beckett looked at him, shouting a serious look. "Sorry."


End file.
